Electric controller



, PATENTED 001 11, 1904.

A. W. HARRISON. I ELECTRIC CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION rum) AUG. 24, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

Patented October 11, 1904.

ARTHUR W. HARRISON, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ELECTRIC CO-NTROLLER.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 772,313, dated October 11, 1904.

' Application filed August 24, 1903. Serial No. 170,622. (No model.)

To all whom, it nuty concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR W. HARRISON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Controllers, of which the following is a specification.

In all electric controllers with which I am acquainted the brushes are stationary and slide over the surface of the controller from one contact to another, the contacts being insulated from each other a sufficient distance, so that the current shall be broken, which requires a considerable space. In such controllers'there is no means of breaking the circuit except by returning the controller to the inoperative position, which in some positions requires some little time.

In my improved controller I arrange my brushes so that they. are moved away from and toward the controller-contacts, thereby enabling the placing of such contacts much closer together and enabling me to use a laminated brush, which gives greater efliciency than a solid brush. I also provide means whereby the current may be instantly broken and the brushes held out of engagement with the contact whenever desired without the ne-- cessity of rotating the controller to its inoperative position. 7

-My improved controller is described herein and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings;

in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a part of a controller embodying my improvements for use in an electric automobile. Fig. 2 is an end view, partly in section. Fig. 3 is an elevation of a fragment of an end view of a modified form. g

In the drawings, A is the frame in which is rigidly mounted on shaft B the contact-carrying sector C, provided with the desired contact-bars C, carrying contacts 1 2 3 4 5, connected up in the usual manner (not shown) to give different rates of speed. These contactbars are separately removable, so that in case of injury thereto any one of them may be removed without interfering with the others. Shaft B is revoluble in its bearings and is provided with an operating-handle and indexpointer, (not shown,) whereby the position of the contact-bars may be changed as deslred.

In frame A is revolubly mounted shaft D,

to which isrigidly secured the brush-carrying frame E, to which is secured insulatingbars Gr, to which bars are attached the brushholders F. hese brush-holders are connected up in the usual manner (not shown) for brushes. These brush-holders are provided with laminated brushes H, which bear against the contacts 2, 3, 4, and 5 when the controller is in its operative-position and against contact 1 when in its inoperative position. The brushframe is provided with a roller I, which engages a star-wheel sector J, carried by the contact-sector. Whenever the contact-sec tor is moved, a tooth of the star-wheel sector operates to push the brush-frame back and away from the contacts, thereby causing the brush to instantly leave its contact, and when the tooth passes the roller spring K, which is attached to the frame A and to the brush, instantly causes the brush to engage the next contact. It will be observed that the full face of the brush leaves the contact at the same time, thereby reducing the sparking to a minimum and rendering it possible to use a laminated brush. The brush-frame is provided with a stud L, which may be brought to engage detent M, which is pivoted to support N, afiixed to frame A to hold the brushes out of engagement with the'contacts. For this purpose a handle (not shown) may be provided for shaft D. In Fig. 3 the brushes are secured directly to the insulating-bars G and project both above and below their point of attachment. I provide a second contact 0, with which the upper end of the brushes engage in the same manner, and at the same time the lower ends engage with the controllercontacts. This second contact is electrically I connected in the same manner as the brushholders and is connected in series with the contacts on the drum when the brush His in place. By this construction the connections may be rigid, while with the brush-holder first described they mustbe flexible- Allcurrent is broken in two places at the same time.

Having described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is i I 1. In an electric controller the combination of a pivoted spring-pressed brush-holder frame having a roller; a laminated brush secured to said brush-holder, and projecting away from its point of attachment to said holder; a pivoted contact-frame having separately-removable contact-carrying bars provided With contacts adapted to engage one end of said brush; astar-Wheel adapted to engage the roller on the brush-frame; astationary contact adapted to engage the other end of said brush.

2. In an electric controller the combination of a pivoted spring-pressed brush-holder frame having a roller; a brush secured to said frame; a pivoted sector contact-frame provided With separately-removable contact-carrying-bars provided With contacts, a-starheel sector secured to said contact-framc and adapted to engage the roller on the brushframe.

3. In an electric controller the combination of a pivoted spring-pressed brush-holder frame having a roller; a laminated brush secured to said brush-holder and projecting 3 away from its point of attachment to said. holder; a pivoted contact-frame provided With contacts adapted to engage one end of said brush; and a star-Wheel adapted to engage the roller on the brush-frame; a stationary contact adapted to engage the other end of said brush.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing Ihave hereunto subscribed my name this 15th day of August, 1903.

ARTHUR W. HARRISON. lVitnesses:

G. E. HARPI-IAM, HENRY T. HAZARD. 

